Reality Check
by Afatcat101
Summary: What if Chell's reality wasn't really what she thought. Was her whole life a lie, or has she finally lost her mind? Please read and review! I did not intend to steal anyone's story/idea. This naturally came to me, and I do not intend to copy any stories
1. Just a Dream

**[AN: This is a result of a sleepless night ad ideas given to me before I fall asleep. That's right, you heard me; this is an idea consumed at 4 in the morning! Enjoy, and remember, if you review, you save a Turret from redemption!**

**I don't own anything Portal, only my fluffy Companion Cube plush. Valve owns the real thing, not me.]**

The sun blazed angrily as Chell trudged through the wheat field. Her Long Fall boots pressed softly into the soil beneath her, adding small indents in the already creased line of the Companion Cube. She pushed the box ahead of her, creating a path for her to walk clearly. The stocks of wheat bent ad tore from the weight of the cube, either lying flat into the ground or simply moving along with the object. The clouds in the sky had nearly vanished, leaving Chell under the merciless strength of the sun. It seemed to burn hotter with every step she took; as if she should regret leaving the cool space of Aperture. _Moron,_ it said, _turn back while you're still alive. Retreat to the safety of the facility._

Chell couldn't help but laugh aloud; _safety of the facility_? That place was more dangerous than anything. _Then how is it _I'm_ the one killing you instead of the facility?_ The sun questioned, echoing in her head. Was she really dying? She didn't feel any more than hot and a bit fatigued. She stopped pushing the box, walking a bit past it with a straight back. There didn't look to be an end to this field. She could very well die of hunger or thirst within the next few days. Her throat burned at the thought of water. Her chapped lips twisted into a frown; she needed water. She looked all around for anything; a building, any trees, a break in the field where a stream might be. Nothing but wheat; Chell sighed.

She held her hand to her forehead, finally feeling the strain of the sun mixed with dehydration and possible Moon-rock poisoning. Her head throbbed lightly, claiming the beginning of a headache. Each throb grew stronger and heavier; sound began to dull out, as if she were underwater. Her vision began to fade, blackness taking over. She's had this happen before; not nearly as strong, just a short moment of light-headedness. Usually she ignored it; like when she first heard the promise of cake, or when she met Wheatley, or when they saw that painted portrait of Caroline and Cave Johnson. Although, all of them combined couldn't hold a candle to the strength of this moment. She held her head with both hands, hoping this feeling would pass before she fell unconscious. She closed her eyes, and immediately upon doing so, she heard a voice she so desperately did not want to hear.

"Are you still there?" A childish voice rang in the distance. Chell's eyes snapped open and she looked around for the enemy. There was none; just her and her Companion Cube. But still, the voices spoke, sounding from a distance.

"Where are you?" The voice asked again, accompanied by an even more horrifying voice.

"She's still here, just asleep," GLaDOS said softly, although the fact that she said it so peacefully made it all the more unnerving. Chell spun around again and again, searching frantically for the voices. She was beginning to panic; was she really losing her mind? After so many years underground and she's fine, but the moment she's free she goes crazy. That didn't seem right. It wasn't fair.

"Go…" The AI said, muttering something afterwards too quietly for Chell to hear. She began to spin and turn quickly, looking for the disembodied voices. Once upon her panicky search, a wheat stalk twisted around her boot, bringing Chell to fall forward, slamming her temple into the corner of the cube. Immediately she was engulfed by darkness.

A soft tune played quietly, hardly audible, but audible nonetheless. It chimed peacefully, taking sound of a music box. Chell couldn't tell what the song was, but the tune sounded familiar. She tried to remember, but quickly gave up; her head was spinning and throbbing. Blackness still surrounded her, accompanied by a strong feeling of dizziness and numbness. Although, Chell no longer tried to wake up, being exhausted from everything she's been through. What was that, exactly? She struggled to regain memory of what happened; where she was; _who_ she was. _Okay,_ she thought to herself, _I was somewhere hot, I was scared, and I heard voices…_ That seemed like a decent place to start. Voices, she pondered, what did they sound like? Then, as if on cue, she heard someone speak.

"Are you coming back?" A child asked, sounding curious and fearful.

"Of course, sweetie…" A woman replied surely, but it was easy to tell she was worried. They both sounded so familiar…

"Do you know who I am?" A man asked in the background, sounding aggravated, "I can sue you if anything happens to her."

"Sir, we can't do anything more than wait. We've been through this for months; we can't do anything but wait." A woman replied, stressing her words, as if talking to a child. The man sighed and spoke, though this time much closer,

"Caroline, I'm going to get lunch with the twins. We'll be back soon." He said, which prompted a quiet "okay" from the woman, who was supposedly Caroline.

_Caroline…Caroline…Caroline…Why do I know this woman?_ Chell thought. Instantly her mind went back to some old building; full of machinery and tubes. She was holding something…some kind of gun, with a fruit attached to it? No…no, a potato! A gun with a potato attached to it. Somehow the potato was talking, repeating the same line Chell just had.

_Why do I know this woman? Did I kill her, or—Oh my God…Look, do you think you can handle things here on you own for a while? I need to think._ The potato said, leaving Chell standing in front of three levers. Pulling each one, a different colored liquid came from a different tube, covering the floors and walls with orange, blue and white…She went out and shot the gun at the ceiling, where some white liquid was splattered. She turned and shot at a wall to her left. Immediately a hole appeared, showing the rail on the other side. Chell simply went through the hold and fell onto the rail. She jumped off the rail, much too high to fall from without getting hurt. But she was fine…She jumped down, landed on the blue liquid, and shot right back up to the same height she fell from.

What was that? What were the gel-like substances? What was that gun, and how did it allow her to teleport? Chell wondered, searching the darkness for any hint to her past. Everything was so familiar, it was driving her crazy that she didn't know. That is, until another voice spoke.

There was a faint knocking sound, followed by a cheery voice. "It's bloody hot outside, inn'it?" He asked brightly. Instantly, Chell knew who it was. And the moment she recognized him, everything came back, hitting her like a bowling ball to the face. Suddenly millions of images flooded her mind, filling her head with Portals and Turrets, and a playful blue Core, and the menacing AI she had tried so hard to get away from. The memories came back so fast it hurt her head, and she would have winced if she was aware of her body.

The woman hummed quietly in response, sounding dazed. A sigh came from afar, probably from the Brit, and movement occurred. Chell heard footsteps, growing louder with each step, finally ending to her left. It was silent for a minute, neither of the two talking, leaving Chell alone in her quiet darkness. She waited, wanting to hear his voice again, wanting to hear him beside her and know he was safe with her rather than in the infinite abyss of cold. She wanted desperately to speak; to apologize, to make things better between them. She missed the old Wheatley; she missed her friend.

Suddenly she felt something, sending shocks through her. A light, warm touch made her aware of her left hand. The jolts of the touch surged through her, awakening the nerves in her arm, then her chest and neck, then her legs and head and everything in between. She was aware of several things; the warmth in her left hand, a similar warmth in her right hand, a very light breeze blowing across her face, cooling her head for a moment. Automatically she was calm; a cool breeze after hours of walking in the field felt nice. She enjoyed it so much she almost forgot about her company.

"I'm sorry," Wheatley muttered, "I wish I could have been there." He sighed, "Look, I don't know if you can hear me, or something, but," He breathed a short, nervous chuckle, "I would really love to see your eyes again. Or…hear your voice…"

Chell tried so hard to find her voice, if she had one at all, but came to no avail. She couldn't open her eyes, her eyelids were to heavy; she was still extremely groggy from passing out. There was nothing she could do…but….she could feel. She was aware of her hands, of her fingers; of the fingers interlocked with hers. Instantly, she focused on moving her thumb. She concentrated and put all of her conscious effort into that one little motion; it was so simple, yet so difficult. She mentally frowned. Why was this so challenging? It was so easy! _Just move your thumb!_ She screamed in her head, _it's a simple task! You've done hundreds of tests meant for scientists and astronauts; you can do a simple task such as twitching your thumb!_

Finally, after several minutes of determination and extremely tiring work, she managed to get control of her thumb, and then her index finger, all the way up to her hand. The instant she could control it, she tightened her grip on the hand to her left. A quiet gasp broke through on her right, and the grip on her right hand tightened. It was silent for a minute, until the two finally breathed.

"Chell," Wheatley asked carefully, so full of hope. Upon hearing his voice, she wanted even more to be able to speak, or at least to open her eyes and see him; and see how on Earth he's holding her hand. Lucky for her, as soon as he spoke, and thanks to the hard work of moving her hand, her senses came to life. She could hear beeps and footsteps in the background; people talking somewhere away. The blackness was replaced by a dimmed whiteness. Immediately her drowsiness cleared some; just enough to give her the strength to open her eyes. What she saw shocked her.

Sitting to her left was a young man; wavy auburn hair, styled messily with bedhead; bright blue eyes, glowing even brighter with joy; and a cute, awkward smile, enhancing the excitement he felt. His smile turned to a grin, "Good morning, luv," he said cheerily. Chell smiled groggily at the boy, turning to look to her right. Now, _that_ surprised her. The woman that sat beside her looked exactly like the woman in the painting. She smiled and lightly brushed hair out of Chell's face.

Chell looked confused now, glancing around the room she was in. It was a white room with windows to her right; blinds shut to block out light. To her left sat an IV, and to her right sat a heart monitor. She looked around the room , and then back at the woman beside her.

"W-where...A-am…I?" She stuttered, her voice hoarse. The woman smiled lovingly,

"You're at the hospital," She replied soothingly, as if the word would send Chell into a panic attack.

She furrowed her brows, "Why?" The dark-haired woman pursed her lips a little. The Brit beside Chell cleared his throat,

"Why don't you ask the nurse, she probably knows more than us…" He muttered. The woman sighed, "She should be coming back soon. So should your father."

Chell slightly nodded, giving a short hum and letting her eyes wander to the ceiling. Everything was so confusing now. One moment she's in a wheat field, after escaping the facility where Wheatley had gone mad with power, GLaDOS was apparently Caroline, and everyone was a robot; the next moment she's waking up in a hospital where Wheatley is his normal sweet self, and human, Caroline is no longer GLaDOS, and she's human, and she has parents. Was this a dream? Or was she dreaming all along? No, that couldn't be it; everything was so real, and she's been living in it for years upon years. A dream couldn't last for years, could it? Nor could it be so real. Honestly, when she left the facility, she had burns on her right arm, a huge gash on her left leg, and several cuts, burns and bruises. She looked at her arm, finding no burn marks. Her leg was fine and there were no wounds on her body, aside from a small scratch on her forearm. Although, her head hurt, specifically her temple, where she fell into the cube. So…what? Was she found in the field and taken to a hospital? That still doesn't explain the sudden healing of her wounds, and the human Wheatley and living Caroline.

Just when Chell needed the answers most, a doctor walked in and smiled at her, "Well, it's good to see you're awake. How do you feel?"

Chell took a moment to think of an answer, but simply ignored it and asked her number one question, "What happened?"

The doctor smiled again and glanced to the chart in her hand. She walked a little closer to the bed and looked at her chart, "You hit your head pretty hard. You fell and hit your head against the side of a desk at your college. The impact knocked you out. On the way to the emergency room, you had a stroke, which sent you into a coma. You've been in the coma for about seven months."

Chell stared at the doctor in disbelief. All of that happened? She was in a coma? So, everything was a dream; all of the Turrets and homicidal AI's, all made up? But, it seemed so real…Wheatley was there, GLaDOS was there…they weren't just figments of her imagination, they were real. She heard them, she saw them, she felt their metal surfaces. She felt the pain whenever she got shot by a Turret. She experienced being sucked through a portal, into space, almost lost in darkness forever. It couldn't be fake.

The pressure on her left hand increased and Chell looked over to Wheatley. He had an apologetic look, "I should have been there; I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry." She blinked and looked at him, completely unsure of everything. The doctor cleared her throat,

"The concussion could have resulted in some brain damage; whether it is inability to move completely, or speak using full sentences, or memory loss. What's the last thing you remember before waking up?"

_What's the last thing I remember?_ She pursed her lips, _Well, I was being tested by an evil homicidal robot, she wanted to kill me. Oh, and this boy sitting next to me was a core that took over the facility and became raving mad and tried killing me. And don't forget the Turrets. _She frowned. She couldn't remember anything besides the facility, and if she were to talk about that they would think she was crazy. With that, she shook her head, "Nothing…"

The two adults by her sides sighed, and the doctor nodded, "Well, then you have a bit of catching up to do. I'll let you talk with your family for a while, I'll come back to check on you soon." She smiled kindly and left the room, leaving Chell with the two people she was never expecting to see again. She looked at Wheatley, whose smile was now twisted into a frown, and then she looked at the woman to her right, who wore an even more heartbreaking expression. Chell sighed and cleared her throat, wincing at the dryness, "Who's first?"

The two looked at each other and Wheatley nodded to Caroline. She looked at Chell and started off since the very beginning. She talked nearly nonstop, from birth all the way up to her twentieth birthday, which was the last birthday she had. Chell listened carefully, with each bit of information bringing a new memory to her mind. Specific memories made Chell nearly spring off of the bed with excitement; like the Bring Your Daughter To Work Day, and the bedtime stories her father would tell her about a fictional character named Rattman; a test subject that escaped from the experiments and lived in the vents of the facility. Every time she heard something like that, reality and her "other" reality clicked, bringing sense to so many things. Chell learned that Caroline, the woman in front of her, was her mother, and her father was a man named Calvin Johnson, being nicknamed "Cave" by coworkers because he always took Chell and his family on road trips, exploring caves and forests. She had a little brother named Terry, who was extremely fascinated by Greek mythology (so much, in fact, that he begged until they named their pet bird Prometheus), and he had a twin sister named Tawny, who loved to play games like Hide-and-Seek.

Chell grew more and more fascinated by her life, and how it connected with her life at Aperture. It was amazing. Her mother was happy that she was so excited about her life; her smile grew to a grin as she went on talking. A smile formed on Chell's lips as well, which also grew bigger as the story went on. The young adult acted like a child watching a magic show, grinning at times and gasping at others. She listened with intense focus, yet her focus was very easy to slip away at certain things being said, like when she tried selling lemonade, or when Caroline forgot to buy a birthday cake for Chell's tenth birthday. The way Caroline spoke, it seemed it was an endless story, but finally she stopped, twisting her lips into a frown and stating she had no more memories, but adding that they did have home videos. When she finished, Chell breathed a laugh, amazed at how everything related. Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet cough to her left. She turned towards Wheatley, remembering one vague comment her mother made about when Wheatley "ruined" her birthday by tripping into her cake.

She smiled at him, "What's your story?"

The man smiled back, "It doesn't go as far back as your mum's, but still a while. Close to her story, but not quite. We've known each other since first grade. The moment I saw you, I had to be your friend. But, you didn't like me! Not at all, you thought I was a moron. For years you mocked me, calling me a moron and stupid. I didn't like it, but I couldn't ever get mad at you. Not really. Around fourth grade you matured a bit- not saying you weren't mature! You were mature. Very smart. Very mature…I meant…you were nice and became my friend." He paused, smiling at some memory, "You know, my name isn't even Wheatley. It's Pendleton Ley – One reason you made fun of me, actually," He blushed lightly. Chell couldn't help but smile at him. He continued, "But my dad owned a farm, including a wheat field, so you gave me the nickname Wheat Ley. The name spread, and now I'm known as Wheatley, thanks to you." At that, Chell chuckled, proud that she had influenced the tow to call him by his nickname. Wheatley smiled at her, silently admiring her laugh before continuing.

His story had fewer memory triggers of Aperture, but still it brought new memories of her new life- or old life. Wheatley's story was more comical than Caroline's, but that was mostly because he kept stumbling over words or just babbled endlessly and went to different stories. Nevertheless, Chell enjoyed every minute of it, but it was coming to an end, and she knew it. The boy sighed lightly and looked at Chell's hand, "And since then I knew you were the one…We've been dating for nearly three years now." He laughed once, his cheeks and ears turning red, "I left for England to visit my brother and mum, that's when your mum called me about what happened. I rushed down, before I could really get anything I wasn't planning done over there, besides one thing."

He glanced up to Chell, his bright blue eyes sparkling in the florescent light. His lips tightened, seeming nervous about something. The way he looked, added to what he said and how he said it, made Chell nervous as well. It was a kind of nervous that she got when she was leaving Aperture; she wanted it, but she was cautious about it. He smiled and took a breath, looking at Chell. Immediately, two kids, seeming about ten or eleven, ran in; the girl following the boy.

She tapped his arm, "Gotcha!"

The boy stopped and smiled, catching his breath from the run. The sudden burst in made Chell jump, nearly falling off the bed; Wheatley was quick enough to catch her before any cords were pulled. The two kids stopped and looked at Chell, eyes wide and grins even wider. They ran up to the bed and gave a pathetic hug around Chell's body,

"You're back!" They sang, so full of excitement that Chell couldn't help but smile. Terry jumped excitedly, "Prometheus missed you!"

Wheatley shook his head, "That bird is evil-"

"No he's not-"

"Yes! He hates me. He really doesn't like me. He's evil." Wheatley argued with the kid. Caroline stopped them before they got to loud.

Once they both shut up, a tall man with dark brown hair walked in, stopping momentarily when he saw Chell, but quickly composed himself and went to her with a smile. He rubbed Chell's hand, which Wheatley let go of, and spoke, "How do you feel?"

She muttered something about being attacked by homicidal AI's, but quickly shook her head, wincing when her head throbs, "Tired." Her parents nodded, kissed her head, and led her siblings out of the room. Wheatley stood up, twirling something in his hand. Chell looked over to him, "What's that?"

He jumped and held his hand behind his back, "Nothing. It's nothing," He gulped lightly, "Just a…ah, just a ball of fuzz I found in my pocket. That's all…" He smiled nervously, his cheeks red. Chell simply nodded and closed her eyes, too tired to argue with him. Besides, she liked it when he tried to lie; it was cute to see him panic and think she fell for his excuse.

He moved ad Chell opened her eyes, remembering he was going to say something before the kids ran in. She reached out and took his hand, "Wait, what were you going to say earlier?"

The Brit shook his head, "I'll ask later. Get some rest." Chell nodded and closed her eyes again. Wheatley leaned down and kissed her head, and then, without warning for either of them, Chell tilted her head up and kissed him. The boy smiled when her heart rate sped up, and stepped away from the dazed girl. "Get some sleep, luv. I'll come back tomorrow," He said, giving one last peck before leaving the room.

Chell lay in her bed, both shocked by the fact that she just kissed him, and excited that he kissed back. She leaned back again, trying to relax as best as she could, but in the end she was so excited that she couldn't calm down, let alone sleep. She couldn't believe it; she was really, finally free from Aperture Laboratories. That place didn't even exist! The facility didn't exist; the Turrets didn't exist; _GLaDOS_ didn't exist. None of it was real. It was all just a dream. Chell smiled, the thought finally getting her muscles to relax; she was free; it was just a dream.

The music box to her right played the same song the Turrets sang when Chell left Aperture. She drifted into sleep with the final thought: _It was just a dream._

**[AN: I know, long one-shot (7 pages on my word document to be exact). I don't know if I ended it well, it seems choppy, but oh well. Please review! Shine light on this story; tell me how it is! If you do, I'll be sure to read and review at least one of your stories. And it saves Turrets from redemption! Do it for the Turrets! And, if you do, you'll even get to keep the Turret you save!]**


	2. Home Sweet Home

**[Okay, since everyone keeps asking for at least a second chapter-thing, I'll write one for you all. Depending on if my creative gears start turning, I might continue this as a real story – **_**might**_**.**

**For the sake of the story, please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks guys for all of your comments!]**

Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home

They checked out of the hospital a week later, seeing Chell had mastered walking and basic motor skills again. Honestly, you would think after decades of nonstop running, jumping and dodging bullets, Chell would be doing flips in the hallway. Of course, that was all in her head. In reality, Chell hadn't moved a muscle in seven months. Although, she wanted desperately to be able to run around and see the world, but the doctors recommended she stay in the wheelchair until they exit the hospital. And even then, her parents would make sure she relaxed, and Wheatley- oh, Wheatley wouldn't leave her side until he was sure she was fine. That would be impossible. Chell sighed at that thought, afraid his paranoid watch over her would become her new prisoned life; unable to leave the house alone, constantly watched and followed. It wouldn't be much different from Aperture aside from school and no dangerous tests.

"Don't worry, luv, we're almost home. Almost there," Wheatley said soothingly to her left, although his own voice glowed with anxiety for her comfort. Chell simply nodded, staring out the window of the passenger seat. It was raining, small droplets falling against the window and sliding down. Chell watched in interest, admiring the look of the rain as it splashed against the road; the sound of the impact against the roof of the car; the sandy smell that leaked through the air vents. She smiled, once again remembering that everything she had been through was a lie. The tests were a lie, the Turrets and other obstacles were a lie, the horrifyingly sadistic AI was a lie. There was only one thing that Chell regretted leaving behind, and that was her beloved Companion Cube. Sure, she had family and friends at college, but even as a dream, she grew attached to it. She wasn't exactly sure why she loved that box so much; it was only a metal cube with a heart on each side. It could have just been the name: _Companion Cube_. Or maybe just the insanity of being alone her whole life. Maybe, it was the very fact that GLaDOS gave it back to her, like a going away present, or a truce-bribe. Whatever the reason, Chell missed it.

Suddenly a jerk pulled her back to the present, and Chell realized the car had stopped moving. She slowly unbuckled her seatbelt, her eyes glued to the building in front of her. It didn't look like a normal building, or a normal house; there were several glass doors, leading to several balconies. There was a gap in the buddle of the building, leading either to a staircase that went to a second floor, or past the staircase to a small, gated pool. The door opened, bringing Chell to look at Wheatley, who was standing in the rain, holding his hand out for her. She quickly grabbed it, allowing him to help her out, and followed him upstairs to a door. He unlocked the door and led her inside, leading her to the couch, "Just sit tight. I'll make some tea. Just sit there, and hold on." Wheatley went to the small kitchen to her left.

Chell sighed quietly and leaned back against the couch. It wasn't the softest, but it was still comfortable. She closed her eyes, and suddenly felt pressure on her stomach. Automatically, Chell opened her eyes just in time to see a gray cat rub his nose against her cheek. Instantly she jumped up and stepped away, nearly tripping over the side table by her. Wheatley looked over at the sound of the bump and went over to see if Chell was okay. Before he asked her, he saw she was looking down at the feline, seeming thoroughly cautious. He looked at the cat and chuckled.

"That's Cujo, your cat," He said as he picked up the feline. Chell stared at it, still unsure about the creature. Wheatley looked confused, "You act like you've never seen a cat before. You've had'im since he was a kitten. Remember, I got him for you for our one year anniversary."

The boy held the cat out towards Chell, gesturing for her to take him. She hesitantly reached out and pet his head. Cujo instantly purred and rubbed against her palm. Chell smiled, allowing the animal in her arms, and sitting back down on the couch. She sat there, stroking Cujo's fur, as she waited for Wheatley to bring the tea in. He came up and sat by Chell, setting the two cups on the coffee table ahead of them. Chell silently watched the steam rise up from the cup; it twirled about in the air for a moment before vanishing. It smelled good. Wheatley watched Chell as she admired the drink. She glanced to him,

"What?" She asked, sounding almost annoyed. Wheatley looked away and shrugged,

"Just making sure you're okay. You've been very quiet…I mean, you're always quiet, but you haven't spoken in two days."

Chell shrugged lightly, "I've been asleep for half a year. I haven't talked in a while."

"Exactly. Most people would be talking non-stop; talking about what it was like, asking about things that happened. You won't even say a word about what it was like-"

"I don't want to think about it."

"Yeah, you told me. But…you know, talking is a great way to get closure, if something's bothering you-" Wheatley began.

Chell cut him off, "I _don't_ want to talk. About. It."

Wheatley backed off, holding his hands up in surrender. He looked away to the cups, reaching down and grabbing one, handing it to Chell. She took the drink, having no appetite for hot, flavored water. Really, what she wanted was a minute to herself. The whole week, she's been surrounded by family and friends, bombarded with questions about her experience and how it felt to wake up. The fact that she didn't say a word about her dream made everyone all the more pushy and curious. Seriously, the only time she was alone was when she fell asleep, and then she was visited by much worse company than her family and their suffocating love. She sighed mentally, staring into the colored water.

Wheatley noticed her mood and put his cup down, lightly resting his arm on Chell's, "Why don't you take a nap? Sleep sounds good. Then after, we'll go out to dinner. Okay? Sound good?"

Chell simply nodded and stood up, automatically heading down the short hall, although she was completely clueless to where her room was. She came across a small room with one bed and a side-table. It didn't look like much, but it was a bedroom, so without further inspection of the rest of the apartment, Chell went in the room. She didn't bother changing; she just lay down, pulling the covers over her shoulder, and stared at the wall.

Yes, she was happy about everything. She was happy she had a family, friends and pets that had calming abilities. But, she didn't feel…_free_; really, truly free. The kind of free she felt when she left the facility. She felt just as caged in as she had her whole dream-life. It wasn't what she had hoped, to be honest. Of course, she had moments where she thought everything was fake; an illusion, but when she thought about real life, she thought about laughing and going outside with friends. But, her reality is that nobody trusts that she can be on her own for more than two minutes. Everything she did would be monitored and judged. So, in a way, she hadn't quite escaped Aperture.

_Don't worry_, she thought, _they're just worried. In a matter of days, you'll be free as a bird._ She smiled and closed her eyes, allowing her thought to wander on their own.

A knock on the door brought Chell to jump awake, quickly looking to see her visitor. Wheatley stood in the doorway, half his mouth curved into a smile. He nodded to his right, gesturing to the door, "It's almost eight, luv. If we want to go, we should go now."

Chell nodded and slipped out of the covers, heading out to the living room. Wheatley followed, helping down the stairs of the complex, and to the car. It had stopped raining, but the smell of wet pavement hung thickly in the air. Not that Chell minded; it was better than the horrendous smell of the toxic goo, burning metal, and moldy plant life all mixed in one. She looked out the window of the car again, once more watching the world zoom by her.

Wheatley drove surprisingly silently, never muttering a single syllable until he parked at a place called Olive Garden. Chell looked up at the sign in curiosity and Wheatley smiled. "You love this place. It's got everything; salads, pasta, soup, chicken. It's got it all, it's got it all," He nodded. Chell glanced to him, the short speech reminding her of a test she did when he took over Aperture; babbling about the bottomless pits and big red buttons. Ugh, he was so annoying, trying to be evil and smart. He wasn't either; he was just a spineless, moronic traitor. She should never have trusted that stupid metal ball. She should have learned her lesson from the first time; never trust a machine.

_There's no sense fuming about any of it._ Wheatley looked confused, "What? You don't like that anymore?" That's strange. Huh…maybe just because you don't remember how it tastes-"

"I'm fine. I like it, let's go inside."

The boy nodded and got out, walking around and helping Chell out, although she was almost already out by the time he got to her. He sighed lightly and went to the entrance of the restaurant, holding the door open for her. Chell went inside, closely followed by Wheatley, and they went to a small podium in the middle of the room. A young blonde stood behind it, holding a small journal, and smiling at the couple.

"Welcome to Olive Garden, how many will be in you party," She asked. Wheatley smiled and replied, telling her they were the only two in the group. The blonde nodded and quickly wrote in her journal. She handed the boy a small circular device, "It'll light up and beep when your table's ready."

"Thanks," Wheatley grinned, leading Chell to a metal bench by the wall. The two sat down, both silent. It surprised Chell; this Wheatley was much less talkative than the one she knew before. It was a little weird, stuck in a silence that always seemed so awkward without Wheatley's babbling. Oh well, she didn't mind it much; it was better than having to pretend to listen all the time. A quiet beeping sound brought Chell back to the present. She jumped, shooting a cautious glare towards the device. A small red light blinked on and off, reminding her so much of a tiny bomb. It made her uncomfortable, and she stood, stepping away from the small machine. Wheatley looked at her curiously, glancing to the beeper once or twice before shaking his head and giving the device to the blonde. He stepped to the former-non-test-subject and put his arm around her shoulders. A male came up with a smile and led them to a table in the back of the restaurant. The table was right next to an open window, allowing the girl to admire the outside world…for the most part.

The couple sat down and the waiter gave them each a menu, giving his name before leaving them to decide their meals. Wheatley instantly scanned through the menu, whereas Chell stared at the front page. It was an advertisement for a new dish of a sweet'n'sour chicken plate; seasoning that had a sweet flavor to it, while being drizzled with lime juice. Honestly, it didn't sound all that appetizing. But that's not what had Chell's attention. It was the catch-phrase for the dish.

Sweet and sour; opposite flavors, rivals in taste…but,

_I think we can put our differences behind us._

For a satisfying meal, you food lovers.

Chell shivered, turning the page as her mind filled with images of the homicidal AI and all she's done to end Chell's life. Wheatley closed his menu, smiling at the girl, "Any idea of what you want?"

She shook her head and looked harder, mainly focusing on keeping GLaDOS out of her head. Nothing looked good. The woman sighed, "I'll share with you." Wheatley nodded and looked around the restaurant for the waiter. He returned, pulling out a notepad and pen. He took their order and quickly left to get their order. Neither of the two spoke as they waited for their meal. The waiter came back a short while later with a tray and two plates.

"I brought two plates and already cut the chicken in half for you two," he said. Wheatley nodded and unrolled his silverware, while Chell stared at the plate of food. Her date was about to thank the waiter, when a red laser lit up outside shining into Chell's eye. Suddenly, and very frantically, Chell ducked down, pushing her chair out and hiding under the floor-length tablecloth. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, returning to the dangerous facility. Her whole body was stiff as she awaited the enthusiastic voice of the Turrets. Wheatley leaned down and lifted the cloth, quietly saying Chell's name. The girl shot up, ramming her head into the table, the bump bringing her back to real life. She looked around and saw Wheatley watching her with worried blue eyes.

Chell slid out from under the table, peeking above the surface. All around her, people were staring, carrying a variety of curiosity to irritation to worry for her sanity. She sat properly in her chair, sliding the seat closely into the table, ignoring her burning red cheeks. Her hands shook excessively as she slowly unrolled her silverware and organized them neatly aside the plate. She continued lifting and rearranging objects on the table, desperately looking for something keep from shaking. The waiter looked at Wheatley, who slightly shrugged and thanked him for the meal. When the man left, Wheatley reached out and took Chell's hands, holding them between his. She quickly looked at him, eyes wide with fear.

"Calm down, luv, calm down. Everything's fine," He said, speaking as soothingly as he could. Chell took a breath, exhaling shakily. She took a few minutes to calm down from the fright, but still she shivered lightly. Wheatley waited until she relaxed to let go of her hands, hesitantly proceeding to cut his chicken all while keeping a watchful eye on the paranoid woman.

Chell put her hand to her forehead, prodding the cooked bird with her fork. She was no longer hungry; she just wanted to go home and let her magic cat soothe her again. She glanced around the room; everyone pretty much went back to their dinner, but now and then they would cast a concerned look towards Chell. The kids mostly stared at her like she would suddenly attack them with her fork. Wheatley looked up when she sighed and laid his eating utensils on the table.

"Why don't we go home," He suggested, looking around the room with Chell. She nodded and Wheatley stopped a passing waiter, asking for a box. She nodded and left to the kitchen. The boy looked at Chell, "Are you okay?" She slightly nodded as she scrunched up the wrapper to her straw into a little paper cube. When she finished, she tossed the cube into her glass of water, watching it fall apart as it disintegrated in the liquid. Her fingers tapped frantically against the table as she waited. So much for a fun dinner.

The waiter came back and boxed the food, giving Wheatley the check. He stood up, laying the money on the table, and led Chell out of the building. She got in the car with him and stared out the window as he pulled out onto the street. They both sat quietly for a few minutes, but Wheatley broke the silence, "What happened back there?" He looked over to Chell when she didn't reply, "Chell, what happened back there."

"Nothing-"

"Nothing? It wasn't 'nothing'; that wasn't 'nothing'. You completely freaked out. Don't tell me that was 'nothing', because it wasn't. What happened to you over there?"

Chell never turned to Wheatley, "It was nothing…"

The Brit nearly jumped out of his seat, "I just told you not to tell me that!"

"It's none of your business," Chell muttered. Wheatley snorted,

"Well it's something that concerns me. Just tell me what happened and I'll-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Chell snapped, the venom in her voice surprising Wheatley. She growled, "I don't want to think about it, I don't want to talk about it; I just want five minutes of peace, but that'll ever happen because you guys won't leave me alone!"

She huffed, glaring out the window. Wheatley looked forward, deciding not to push the subject anymore. He noticed Chell was very stressed, and kept his mouth shut, hoping she would cool down. Now and then he would look over to the girl, silently worrying about how her coma affected her. She ever used to act like this. She ever used to get angry that easily, or freak out about anything, let alone some small unknown object. Of course, she's herself, but she's more jumpy and emotional about everything. Wheatley didn't know what it was, and, to be honest, it scared him. Yes, it could just be temporary, a side-affect from whatever she was dreaming about or the hit on her head, but what if it was something worse, more permanent? He sighed quietly and turned into the apartment complex. Before Wheatley could get to her side, Chell opened the door and started walking up the stairs. He quickly followed behind her, scooting between her and the door to unlock it and open it. Chell went inside and sat on the couch, sliding down to lay across it before Wheatley could sit by her.

Instantly Cujo hopped up and lay on her stomach, purring happily about her being home. Chell rubbed his fur, already beginning to relax and wind down. Her eyes closed and she slowly stroked the cat. Wheatley pursed his lips, "How about you go to bed. I'll come by tomorrow…if you want…"

"I like it here," She mumbled, already being half asleep. The Brit nodded and went to the door. He opened it and stepped out, turning to look at Chell before he left.

"Love you," He said.

Chell paused mid-stroke, unsure what to say, but when she heard the door close she continued to pet her cat. He purred soothingly, reminding Chell so much about her Companion Cube. She missed that box, but with Cujo here she would be fine. The cat lay lovingly with Chell as she dozed off, sleep overwhelming her.

**[Thanks to all of you who reviewed and commented my story so far, by the way. You guys are my motivation to keep going!]**


	3. Nightmare Paranoia

Chapter 3: Nightmare Paranoia

Chell and Wheatley walked around a park after having lunch. Apparently she loved to walk around parks because it always reminded her of the park-walks her grandfather took her on. She and her Pappy would go get ice cream whenever he came into town, and afterwards they would go to a park. When she was younger she would play and he would watch, but as she got older, she played less and talked with her grandfather more. Finally, around the age of fifteen, they decided to just walk around the park. She really loved him; he was like her second father, and it really affected her when he passed away, just a few months after her eighteenth birthday.

She made a face, "That's kind of a downer." Wheatley chuckled and stole a bite of her sundae, "I'm sorry. You asked and I told you. Sorry-"

"Hey! You're out of the hospital," A girl yelled as she ran up to the two, "What was it like? How did it feel? Did you see yourself, like the movies always make it? Or did you have a dream? Or did you just lie there in the dark the whole time? I bet that would creepy, and then just get boring. Did you hear us talk to you? Did you know you were in a coma? If you had a dream, what was it about? Was I in it? What was I doing? What did—"

"Carrie. Breathe," Wheatley held his arm out towards the girl. She sighed and took a large breath, suddenly hugging Chell. Her long, wavy brown hair bounced as she stepped back, looking over the woman with golden brown eyes. They were light brown, but the sun shone in her eyes in a way that made them nearly gold. She smiled, and Chell smiled back with a light shake of her head

Wheatley shook his head, "Don't even try. She won't tell anyone about her dream."

"I never said I had a dream," Chell defended. Wheatley rolled his eyes,

"Based on how you've been acting, I'd say you had a dream."

She shrugged and Carrie frowned for a moment before smiling again, only this time looking past Chell and Wheatley. "Seth! Chell's back," She exclaimed, running past the couple to embrace a boy the same age. He grinned and zipped over to her with excited brown eyes.

"Hey you're out! What was it like? Did you have a dream, were you in space? That would be cool If you were in space, then you'd be looking down at us, from space," The boy grew more and more excited as he went on. Chell smiled and shook her head.

"Yes, I did," She muttered, hoping nobody heard. Seth perked up and hopped in place, "You did? Lucky, I wish I could go to space and see everything. Then I'd see my dad maybe…" He paused, slightly frowning at the thought of his father, but quickly recovered and grinned again, "If I was in space, I'd be a space cop and fight off aliens and save a beautiful princess." Carrie frowned at that and Seth smiled at her, "You'd be the princess."

She giggled. Chell made a face; not at the two love birds, but at his guess. That made more sense; living a different reality while she was asleep. But what Seth said made her flinch; _it's not as fun as you think_. She thought back to her final moments with Wheatley. They were both being pulled into space, Wheatley attached to the ceiling, but useless, and Chell holding onto his rails for dear life. She was actually lucky to be alive then, although it wasn't a fun experience. The moment the portal hit the moon, all of her oxygen was sucked out of her, leaving her with empty lungs. Her chest hurt immensely, as well as her head and throat, and every other inch of her body. She could feel her grip weakening, she could feel herself slipping, heading towards instant painful death. And when she didn't expect it, the excited orange core shot out, slamming into Wheatley and making Chell's hand fall off of the rail. Panic surged through her and she struggled to get her grip again. That moment, she was terrified; more so than any other moment in her life. She was really going to die this time…

A quiet snap brought Chell back. She jumped and looked around, taking in that she was no longer there. Relief spread through her instantly. The three friends were staring at her, Carrie full of curiosity, Seth both curious and worried, and Wheatley completely concerned. Before Wheatley could ask if she was okay, Chell cleared her throat, "I'm fine."

Seth and Carrie nodded, whereas Wheatley continued to look over her. She looked at him and repeated herself, stressing the words, "_I'm fine_." And then, as if on cue, a Frisbee flew into her arm. She picked up the disk, allowing herself to relax once more, when a teenage boy came up.

"Hey-" He tapped her arm, and immediately she turned and swung the disk, hitting him in the head with the edge. He staggered a step to his side and fell down on his face. His friend behind him helped him up, glaring at Chell, "It was an accident, chill out." He snatched the Frisbee from her hands and helped the boy to a bench.

The three surrounded Chell; Seth and Carrie with their hands on her shoulders, and Wheatley in front of her, taking her face in his hands. She stared forward in a shocked haze. After having him call her name a few times, she blinked and moved her blank stare to Wheatley. He stepped back, "What was that!"

"I…didn't mean to…" She muttered quietly.

Wheatley huffed, "That's it. That's it, I'm taking you to a therapist. This has gone too far. It was one thing when you would duck or hide when something happened, it was another thing when you freaked out at the potatoes at the store, but this is just mad! Something is wrong, and you need help-"

"I'm not crazy," She blurted.

"I never said you were crazy."

"You were thinking it. I'm not crazy. I don't need help, _I'm fine!_"

Wheatley growled. Seth and Carrie held onto Chell, making sure she didn't go berserk and start choking Wheatley. They glanced to each other, both uncomfortable in this situation. Chell and Wheatley argued, yelling at each other about her sanity. Suddenly she turned to the couple, "Tell him I don't need help."

The two looked at her and Seth smirked, "You _did_ just knock that kid out for throwing a Frisbee at you."

Chell let out a huff of disbelief, glaring at her friends, and then turned to Wheatley. The Brit sighed and let himself cool down before speaking. He looked at the girl with a frown, "Chell, honestly, I'm worried. You're not acting how you used to; you're much more jumpy and aggressive and impulsive. Please, just talk to someone. Anyone; it doesn't have to be me. Just talk to someone about this."

She bit her lip, keeping from arguing, and gave a sharp nod. Her friends let her go and Wheatley embraced her. Seth and Carrie stepped back, "We have to get to a movie. We'll see you soon." Wheatley nodded and stood quietly as the couple left, looking back to him and Chell. Chell was laying her head against Wheatley's shoulder, thinking about what he said. It was true; she was very jumpy and impulsive. It's been a week since she left the hospital, two weeks since she woke up, and during her whole time out of the hospital, something would trigger an automatic fight or flight response. She sighed; she was actually really crazy, and she ever even did those tests. Her own imagination made her go insane. Wheatley pulled away, holding Chell's hand, and walked with her to the car in silence.

**[Sorry this chapter was so short. It was basically just a filler. I'll try to make the next chapter longer!**

**And I deeply sincerely apologize for the Curiosity and Space core. I'm horrible at writing these original-pre-made cores into a story. They're so difficult for me to get into character. So, sorry guys.]**


	4. Therapy

Chapter 4: Therapy

Day 1: Wheatley went inside the office, nearly dragging Chell inside. He smiled at a middle-aged woman at the desk in front of them, "We have an appointment for Mrs. Wilson."

The woman nodded and looked at her computer. She smiled and pointed down the hall. Chell rolled her eyes and Wheatley thanked the secretary, taking Chell down the hall. They came across a door that read Andrea .R. Wilson. Wheatley smiled and knocked, quickly being answered and greeted by a woman from inside. She let the two inside, gesturing to a couch, and sat down in a chair. Wheatley led Chell to the couch, who refused and stayed on her feet. The Brit slightly frowned and sat down.

"Why don't you have a seat, Miss Johnson," Andrea smiled. Chell shook her head and the counselor cleared her throat, "Okay, then let's begin with asking who has the appointment?"

"Well, Chell is the one you'll be talking to so…" Wheatley spoke.

The woman nodded, "Well, then I'm going to ask you to leave. All of these sessions are between me and my patient."

Wheatley hesitated, but stood up and went to the door. He looked towards Chell and left the room, closing the door behind him. Andrea smiled, "Where should we begin?" She looked at her clip board, "I see you recently woke up from a coma. Would you mind telling me about that?"

Chell crossed her arms and shook her head. This, out of anything, made her feel like a test subject in Aperture. If she was going to feel like it, she was going to act like it, and that meant returning to her silent state. Andrea pushed on and looked at her clip board again, but not for anything written; it was just habit to look down at it. She asked about life before the coma, about life after the coma, once more about what it was like during the coma, but Chell stubbornly refused to answer. Andrea asked the same questions once more; Chell gave the same silent response. She stood, glaring into the rug, ignoring the voice of the counselor as her mind flashed back to Aperture. She quickly lost track of time, and continued to remember, while Andrea began to speak about herself, thinking if Chell knew about her she could talk to her. Somewhere along the way she started talking about her dog, and how much it loved lasers. She actually pulled out a small keychain laser, shining the red light onto the floor. Immediately Chell freaked out. She let out a faint yelp as she ducked behind the couch. Andrea went over to check on the woman.

She was lying on the floor; curled into a ball, back against the furniture, and head tucked into her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the forming tears to seep out. Chell let out a quick gasp of air as she held back a sob; she couldn't let GLaDOS see her cry; that would just bring a world of insults to her. But she couldn't stand it, she couldn't take it anymore; she just wanted to be rid of these tests and Turrets. A quiet, inaudible whine broke through Chell's throat. Andrea touched her arm, and she flinched, her eyes snapping open. She waited a moment, then looked up at Andrea, eyes red and tears forming again.

"It's okay. You're okay, it was just a laser," The counselor soother, holding up the keychain. She held it so Chell could look at it, and then pointed it to the wall. "See? It's a laser," She pressed the button and a red dot appeared on the wall ahead of them. Chell flinched at the light, and Andrea put it away. She watched her patient, thinking over what just happened. Slowly, she took the laser out and shone it on the wall. Chell didn't flinch, but she obviously tensed up. Andrea stopped the laser and held out her hand to help Chell up. The woman ignored her offering and got up herself, moving to sit on the couch.

Andrea went back to her seat, writing on her clip board. She looked at her watch and sighed, "Well that's our time. You can leave, I'll see you next week."

Chell stood up and left quickly, avoiding eye contact with Wheatley when he came up. He asked her how it went; no response. He asked if it helped; no response verbally, but she did make a face, saying it went bad. That's when Wheatley noticed the remaining tears in her eyes; he stopped her and turned her to face him, "What happened?" Chell shook her head and turned to leave, walking to his car and getting in. Wheatley quickly followed and got in the car. He started the engine, "Well, Mrs. Wilson said we should take you to the hospital, just to get your brain looked at and stuff, so that's where we're going."

"What fun," Chell muttered, watching as they drove to the hospital.

Wheatley sat in the waiting room, hoping desperately Chell was okay. He played with a bottle cap, twirling the plastic object in his hands. It reminded him of the ring in his pocket, and he pulled that out, turning it and watching the diamond sparkle under the fluorescent light. He sighed. This was a gift being given six months too late. And it wasn't all his fault; Chell _was_ in a coma for the entire time. When she woke up, he could have done it then, but he chickened out. He could have done it any moment for the two weeks she's bee awake, but he was worried she would be too stressed. _I guess it'll happen at the right moment_, he thought. The doctor came out of the room with Chell, and Wheatley quickly put the ring back in his pocket with a smile. Chell went to him, growing very tired of the constant questions and tests. Yes, they did tests on her. They took pictures of her brain, showed her several different pictures, varying from kittens and puppies to war and military related stuff. That was the worst part; seeing pictures of lemons, explosions, blue and orange paint, space and the moon; almost everything made her flinch or panic.

The doctor smiled at Wheatley, "Well, her brain scans look good. No sign of brain damage. But, she shows all of the symptoms of PTSD."

"PTSD? But, she hasn't been through any sort of traumatic event," Wheatley looked confused. Chell huffed and the doctor pursed his lips.

"Well, there's a chance it could be from the coma. She won't tell us anything, but if she had a dream, that could have affected her." Wheatley nodded. Okay, well that was okay. He and she could work together and they could get through it together. That is if Chell was up for plenty of therapy.

**[I'm sorry guys! These last two chapters have been much shorter than the others. Mainly I'm in a rut; like I know what I want to write, but I don't know how to write it. So sorry, and I'll **_**try**_** so hard to make this next chapter longer.]**


	5. Deleted

Chapter 5: Deleted

Chell hardly listened when Andrea spoke to her that first meeting, but she did notice her say that people put their worries and stress into art; songwriting, story writing, painting, sculpting; anything. She thought about that as she stared at a paper and pencil on her table. It had been ten minutes since she sat down with the objects; all the while she stared at them. Several images swirled around in her head, all so clear, as if she had just seen them the previous day. Chell closed her eyes, wishing they would go away and leave her alone. Unfortunately they didn't leave, and she was growing desperate. That was when she opened her eyes and looked down to the paper. _Just draw it. Just draw one little Turret. It has to work if a therapist suggests it…right?_

She reached down and lifted the pencil, gliding it over the paper. She made curves and corners, all combined to create the machines that haunted her thoughts. What was funny, and surprising to Chell, was that, the more she drew, the less the thought about it. Her thoughts went off on their own, going to Caroline and her siblings, and Wheatley and her friends. Wheatley, it had been a whole day since she saw him and he hasn't even called. That was weird. Usually he would be over by now, making tea and putting on a movie. Chell glanced up to her cell phone, seeing no alert, and looked down to her paper. On the sheet stood four Turrets, eyes on her and guns ready to fire. The whole thing was pretty dark and gloomy; the background all shaded dark, the Turrets designed with a much more ferocious look than they really had…but it didn't matter, that's how Chell saw them. She saw them as killers, not as cute, friendly little machines. Chell sighed and pushed the picture away, glad to at least get some relief. _Maybe I should draw more often_, she thought, glancing to the picture. Her artwork was surprisingly good, seeming to know proper shading and how to add realism. A small smile played on her lips.

The phone suddenly rang ad Chell jumped, looking around the room before settling on the device. She picked it up and hesitantly answered, "Hello?"

"Chell, good you're awake," Wheatley said. Chell sighed in relief and he continued, "Listen, ah…Something's…happened."

Chell frowned. She didn't like how he was speaking. The Brit fell silent, forcing Chell to sit in her thoughts, already thinking of things that could have happened. Maybe the doctors did find some brain damage, maybe a tumor? Or what if the facility under Aperture really existed, and Wheatley found it. What if he's in danger? She shook her head; none of that happened. Her imagination was getting away with her again. Chell cleared her throat and Wheatley took a breath, "Look, I-I'll be over soon. I'm leaving now. We need to talk." He hung up. This wasn't good. This was bad, and Chell got nervous.

She looked at another blank piece of paper, starting to doodle frantically. The paper filled up with small pictures of Turrets, her Companion Cube, The core Wheatley, GLaDOS, POTaDOS; everything. Anything her mind thought up about Aperture, she added it to the paper. Soon she had to turn the page, this time making comic-style pictures; small sketches that told a story- as if none of the others did that. No matter what she did, Chell could not shake the uneasy feeling rising inside her, although she was certain she would be having a panic attack if she wasn't drawing. Finally the door opened and Wheatley came in. Chell stood up and looked at him as he walked over to her. The Brit kept his eyes on her, only glancing down for a moment.

"Chell, um, I-I don't know how to say this…Really, I'm still in shock, myself. I mean, it just happened-"

"Wheatley, please just tell me what you're going to say," Chell sighed.

He looked at her with sad eyes and told her straight forward, "Your mum died…in a car accident."

Those words cut into Chell; she had that dropping feeling she got whenever she jumped from a high surface; her heart plummeted and a sharp twinge in her stomach appeared. Suddenly the worldly sounds became muted, bringing dead silence to everything. Chell felt light headed and numb, but she didn't feel like crying or throwing a fit like they do in movies. Of course, Caroline never really reached out to Chell. The whole week she's been out, neither of her parents seemed to bother about her. And, as some memories expressed, Caroline always pushed Chell; always wanting the best from her. Honestly, Chell hated it, she felt like she would ever be enough for Caroline. She only seemed to care about Chell making a lot of money and being successful; of course, who doesn't want that from their kid? But even then, she didn't treat Chell like she cared about her happiness or safety. The only real affection she got was when she awoke from the coma, that's it, in Chell's mind.

Still though…she's dead. It just didn't seem real; like a dream. Chell stared forwards, her glare moving from Wheatley to the floor as she took it in. Wheatley sighed and held her in his arms, apologizing for her loss. She remained silent, still stuck in her dazed thoughts. She stepped back and looked up at Wheatley. "Thanks…" She muttered, running her hand through her hair as she sighed and looked at the kitchen. "Want some tea?"

The boy put on a smile and went to the kitchen, setting up the drinks. Chell sat back down at the table and stared at her drawings. After thinking about it for a while, it became a bit ironic when she connected this life with Aperture. It seemed almost like she saw the future when GLaDOS deleted Caroline. That vicious, horrible, murderous contraption; she hated that AI so much. Instantly she put blame on her mother's death on GLaDOS. So what if she was a figment of Chell's imagination? _She_ killed Caroline. _She_ took her away from Chell. Her blood boiled as these thoughts circled in her head. _I hate her_.

Wheatley stirred the tea silently, giving Chell a minute to relax. When he finished with the tea, he saw the girl drawing, her cheeks red and her jaw tensed. He decided it would be smart to let her calm down and finish whatever she was drawing. He sighed and stared at tea, watching the liquid swirl around the cup. Well _today_ he was actually going to ask, but the accident happened, and now Chell was too stressed to bring it up. It was never going to happen; stuff kept popping up before he could have the time to ask. A sigh got his attention and he looked to see Chell lean her head against her hand, staring down at a paper. He picked up the cups and sat at the table across from her, pursing his lips.

Chell took the cup and immediately began drinking the tea. Wheatley sighed, "I can't believe it. It just doesn't seem-"

"Please, don't talk about that. Just…don't talk about it. Not now."

Wheatley nodded and looked down, observing the drawings. On one paper there were four white ovals attached to three black prongs. Some door-type parts were jutting out of them, holding what looked like gun barrels. In the middle of the machine was what looked like an eye. The four were staring at him. On the next paper there were more of the machines, but also pictures of a box with a heart on it. There was the same heart-cube on top of the moon. Wheatley turned the paper around, seeing a potato with a light attached to it, some alien looking gun, and some type of boots with springs attached. On the third paper, the newest one, showed an ominous monster of a machine, hanging low from the ceiling, glaring at Wheatley with its single eye. The image sent chills down his spine. Wheatley looked up at Chell, who was scrutinizing the cup she held.

"What's all this," he asked, turning the paper of GLaDOS around and pushing it to Chell. She shrugged with one shoulder,

"That's a machine, what's it look like?"

Wheatley grumbled at her vague answer, "Why are you drawing these? They're so dark and…to be honest, this one creeps me out."

"Good," Chell nodded, "She's supposed to scare you, she's intimidating like that. It's who she is."

Now Wheatley became nervous, "Chell, 'she' isn't real."

"She was."

He stared at her, and she stared into her mug, obviously uncomfortable with the topic at hand. Wheatley decided to investigate, "Tell me about her, then." Chell looked up at him and shook her head quickly. He nodded once, "Does she have a name? Come on, you obviously know her, why don't you tell me then? Hmm?"

Chell stood up and snatched the papers from the table, heading to her room, "How about we talk about something else? Seth and Carrie, huh? I didn't know they were dating."

"Yeah, well, you also didn't know anything else about your life, so it's not much of a shock there," Wheatley muttered, growing annoyed with Chell's constant refusal to talk. Chell stopped in the hall when he said that, wanting to scream at Wheatley about his ignorance and stupidity. He didn't know anything. It wasn't Chell's fault she fell into a coma; it wasn't her fault she forgot everything; it wasn't her fault she was forced through a lifetime of torture and abuse, all made up by her own self. She didn't want any of this. She didn't ask for any of this. It wasn't her fault. Chell gripped the papers tighter and stormed into her room, slamming the door loud enough to warn Wheatley not to bug her. Hopefully, for his sake, he wasn't stupid enough to open the door.

She lay on her bed, resting the pictures on the side table, and closed her eyes. Her mind went instantly to Caroline, memories of times they went to the mall or the beach, all good memories, flashing through her head. _Now she's gone for good. She'll never come back; I'll never see her or hear her laugh again._ Chell sighed, the true realization finally hitting her. Her mother was dead. Tears threatened to come out, but Chell fought hard to keep them hidden, learning from her time in Aperture that tears are a sign of weakness. They only led to shame. _Screw that_, she thought, _none of that exists_. She gave in and let the tears escape, running down her cheeks ad into the pillowcase. None of that mattered anymore. This was real life; she was really awake this time, she really had PTSD, and her mother had really just died.

That was it. She needed some air. She needed to breathe and cool down. Chell got out of her bed and trudged through the apartment, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Wheatley as she went to the door. The Brit stood up and followed her, but stopped when she turned around with an expression of utter annoyance, "Just let me walk. I need some air."

Wheatley gave a small nod and Chell spun back around and went outside. She shoved her hands in her pockets and glared at the ground as she strolled. The walk was intended to calm Chell down, but it only made her anger worse. She would step on a twig or car would drive by and the sound would freak her out, bringing a bit of Aperture back to her mind. There happened to be a lot of twigs and a lot of cars, and soon all she could think about as how horrible everything was, and how she had to live through it. It just didn't make sense, why that place was her alternate reality. Why couldn't it be like those movies, where it's just a life with a different family or something? Why did she have to be so mentally screwed up to think of such a place? And what made it all worse was Wheatley. He didn't understand any of it. He didn't know what was going on while she slept. All he had to deal with was the same crappy life he had now, nothing more. Who did he think he was, setting up appointments with a counselor and trying to talk to Chell like his words could help? He didn't help, he just made things worse.

The longer she walked, the jumpier she got, and the angrier she got. Eventually she just decided to walk home. Each time she heard a car honk, or any sound for that matter, she would jump, growing irritated by everything. She went inside, now soaking wet, and went to the kitchen. Wheatley looked up from the table, seeing that Chell was moving about the kitchen frantically, he spoke, "Chell-"

"I'm fine. Just getting tea," She turned the stove on, hissing when a flame spat out at her. The water boiled, seemingly from Chell's glare, rather than the fire beneath it. Wheatley stepped forward towards her as she removed the pot, a bit too spastically, and a drop of water fell into the fire, causing the flames to spurt out again. Chell jerked back instinctively and the pot of boiling water spilled all over her body. She cursed and dropped the pot, flinching when it hit the ground. Wheatley stepped forward, "Are you okay?"

Chell rolled her eyes and spoke with such venom that Wheatley cringed, "I'm just peachy. Everything is perfect!"

The man grumbled to himself, "I was just asking."

"You were being stupid. When someone spills burning hot water all over themself you don't just ask if they're okay!"

"I'm sorry okay?"

She made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat, "You're always sorry."

"What's that supposed to mean," Wheatley furrowed his brows. Chell just shook her head, "Nothing. It means nothing." She took a towel and started cleaning the floor. Wheatley watched her, curious and now very irritated. All he was doing was asking. She didn't have to throw a fit like that. What got her so moody, anyway? He thought about that; could it be the PTSD? She's been better, but the whole day she just seemed very…off. The random walk was a bit expected, but coming home and acting like she saw a murder. She just seemed very panicked the whole time. Whatever, it was probably just hormones. Wheatley was about to turn to leave when he heard her sniff. He hesitated, then went to her and kneeled by her, resting his hand on one of hers. She jerked her hand back and sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing once more. Dare he ask again?

"Are you okay" He looked at her.

Chell put her hands to her face and quickly wiped her eyes. She shook her head, "No, no I'm not. I'm never okay. I can't go anywhere without getting paranoid, I can't do or hear or look at anything without freaking out, nobody understands. Everyone just thinks I'm crazy, and who knows, maybe I am. You try to act like you know what's going on, but you don't, and your acting like you do just makes things worse. And I'm not saying I don't appreciate that you care…but you care too much. You're suffocating me, Wheatley," She stood up, "I need some space."

The boy nodded and stood up, "Okay, okay I'll ease up. I'm just worried is all."

Chell shook her head, "I'm sorry. I need more space than just a few days to myself. I just…I don't think it'll work out anymore. I've gone insane and I'm taking your life away."

Wheatley stared at her pleadingly and shook her head, "No you're not. Chell, we can get through this. We can still work it out, we've been together for three years, we can make it."

The girl shook her head and looked down. She said she didn't want him to waste his time on her, but what she really wanted was peace and quiet, and the ability to sit in her bed for a whole day without being disturbed by that annoying British voice. She liked him, as a friend, but she just didn't think seeing him as much as she did would help her at all. Every time she looked at him or heard his voice, she would see the metal core in the facility. All she wanted was to be free of that place and everything it held. Chell sighed and held her head. She was getting over-emotional, she needed to cool down. A headache started throbbing, specifically around her temples. It was a migraine already. She winced.

Her head filled with everything that went on. Was she really breaking up with Wheatley? That poor boy looked heartbroken, like he really expected them to stay together forever. She was sorry, though, really; it was a shame the coma brought all of that stress to her. It was a shame all of it had happened, but it happened, and now Chell was going to live a paranoid life. _Well, at least I'm not stuck at Aperture anymore._ She sighed and let that soothe her.

Although the thought brought comfort, it also brought a wave of dizziness. She reached out her hand and held a wall beside her for support. Wheatley was there to help her instantly. As the sudden dizziness continued, Chell felt numb and heavy, and her vision began to fade out. Luckily she stood through it and the feeling passed. It was a random feeling, but it was probably just because Chell as thirsty. Then, she realized just how thirsty she was. Her throat was dried out and sore and her body grew heavy and lazy from the lack of water. The dizziness came again, this time much stronger, enhancing the pain around Chell's temple. She held her head and staggered to the side. Just before she blacked out, she heard Wheatley call her name.

**[Ugh, this chapter was so…meh to write. I had the idea for it, but it just really sucked when it came out on paper. Sorry if it's choppy or just pretty blah. But, if you read all the way up to/past this chapter, then hey, I must be doing something right, eh? Thanks guys, a lot, really!]**


	6. Dreams

**[You guys really do all motivate me. Really. If it weren't for your reviews, I wouldn't have continued this story.]**

Chapter 6: Just a dream

Chell opened her eyes to see a hospital room. The space was all white, and completely empty. She looked around, confused by the strange silence of the hospital. There were no beeps, no murmurs, no footsteps; nothing but the weak chime of her heart rate. Nobody was there by her side either. Was everyone at home? Did everyone leave? What time was it, anyway? How long has she been out? Chell looked around once more, hoping to find a clock or a calendar of some sort, but came to no avail and leaned back against the bed. She'll just wait until Wheatley came back from wherever he was to ask. She winced; her head still throbbed, but the pain was much lighter. At the same time, she felt a bit woozy in her head, as if the pain was being numbed. It didn't matter, the pain was gone. And Chell was no longer thirsty, being hooked up to an IV. She closed her eyes and waited for Wheatley.

"Oh good, you're awake," A voice said, sounding as sour as ever. Chell froze and opened her eyes, looking around the room. The voice came again, this time indifferent, but with a hint of amusement, "You get outside for fifteen minutes and manage to give yourself a concussion. Good job."

Chell brought herself to a sitting position, trying to get her voice, though she could speak no louder than a whisper, "W-Wha...What..."

"Oh don't try to speak, you might hurt yourself again."

Chell ignored her, "What…H-happened?"

The AI let out a short, impatient sigh, "You hit yourself in the head. I sent Orange and Blue to look around for any nearby animal for an experiment. To my surprise, they came back within two minutes, dragging your bloody, unconscious body across my floor" Her tone turned sour at the end, either irritated by her being brought back or by her getting blood on the floor. Chell had begun to remove the IV's and get out of the bed. She held the edge for support, but quickly started to walk to the door. The AI spoke, "I would get back to your bed before you slip and fall again. Seriously, I don't need to clean up any more of your blood, so do us both a favor and lie down," She paused, "Fine, _do_ walk around. Run around the room, jump on the bed, I don't care. Personally, it'll be easier if you kill yourself. Then I won't have your death on my hands."

"Let me out," Chell pushed against the locked door. She leaned against it, sliding against the floor in attempt to push the door open. It quickly slid up, forcing Chell to fall to the ground. She pushed off from the floor, getting to her feet and glaring around for a camera. The computer ignored her look and opened a door across the hall, leading Chell to her chamber. She hung high from the ceiling, staring down at the human with a narrowed optic. Chell hesitated upon entering the room, but tightened her fists and walked in.

The two stared at each other for a while, GLaDOS seeming annoyed that Chell was back, and Chell trying to figure out what was going on. This was supposed to be a dream. She was supposed to be in her real life with Wheatley and her siblings and her friends, and magical cat. What happened? She dug through her memory to find her last moments at home. She remembered that she had a fight with Wheatley and passed out. That was all. This had to be a dream. Maybe Chell had hit her head, causing another coma or something. That seemed unlikely, but it was the only explanation she had. That was what she was sticking with. This was a dream.

The machine tilted her head when Chell smirked, growing curious about her reasoning, being that she was facing a possible certain doom. Maybe she thought GLaDOS would release her again. Ha, what an idea. "What are you smiling about," She asked irately.

Chell shrugged lightly, "You're not real."

The AI was caught off guard, and she twitched in confusion, "Excuse me?"

The woman now fully shrugged, seeming very calm about the situation, "You are not real. You're a figment of my imagination, and this is just a dream."

"A dream," The computer stifled a laugh, "Is that what you think?" The girl nodded and GLaDOS chuckled, "You must have hit your head harder than I thought. Either that, or you're really brain damaged after all, which wouldn't be a surprise, seeing how you nearly killed yourself in a field of wheat."

Chell stared at the machine, unfazed, "This _is_ a dream. I just passed out at my home is all-"

"Home," The computer asked quizzically.

"Yes, home. And I have parents and younger twin siblings, and I have friends that go to college with me." Honestly, as Chell said that to the machine, it sounded as stupid as Wheatley's Turret-Cube idea. The AI started to laugh again,

"Family, college, friends…listen to yourself. You really have finally gone insane, haven't you?" GLaDOS leaned in closer to Chell and spoke in a more serious tone, "You have no family. You're just an annoyingly stubborn human with no parents or friends. And _this_ is real life, not your fantasized life. _This_ is _your_ life."

Chell looked forward, away from the optic of the machine. Was she right? Everything was just a dream, for real this time? She was seriously and truly stuck in this world forever. No, she couldn't be. GLaDOS had given her freedom before. She had to let Chell go again. She looked up at the AI, "So I'm awake now. You can send the lift to take me outside and away from you again."

GLaDOS widened her optic in surprise, "You think I'm going to let you go back out there? Please, that place is riskier than in here, for you at least. Besides," She turned away thoughtfully, "Now that you're back, I can continue testing. Yes, I use the Cooperative Testing now, but let's be honest, they're nothing like you. They're both dimwitted robots who can't die. It gets boring quite fast. But you," She turned to look at Chell, "you're surprisingly unpredictable for a human. So I'm putting you back into testing." A claw came down and lifted Chell by her arm. She dangled helplessly as the machine moved her over to a newly formed gap in the floor. The grip loosened and Chell dropped into the hole, landing in a test chamber.

"It's lucky you still have the Long-Fall boots. They're the only pair," GLaDOS gave a short chuckle, "Get the Dual Portal Device and we can continue the testing."

Chell did so, falling silent from the shock of the realization. She slowly proceeded through the test, working the puzzle in a fog. She trudged forward and shot the portals, getting a laser into the receiver and stepping on the moving platform to the door. The door slid open and Chell went down the stairs, stepping onto the elevator. Once the door closed, Chell slid down and sat in a curled ball, closing her eyes. She couldn't believe it; she was really, truly stuck in Aperture Laboratories. Her normal life was gone forever. That place didn't even exist! The college didn't exist; her family and friends didn't exist; _Wheatley_ didn't exist. None of it was real. It was all just a dream. Chell frowned, the thought making her stomach turn; she was never going to be free; it was just a dream. _It was just a dream._

**[Thank you all for your comments and views. I really do appreciate them all. You guys are awesome! And yes, this is the end **

**Please review. They make me smile, all the time!]**


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